Push Out Into the Deep Waters
“Johnny stopped for a moment to reflect out loud, “I don’t believe that we take into consideration the far-reaching effects that our everyday decisions have on our destiny, the lives of others, or the world as a whole.”
Johnny continued his reading. “Jesus looked Simon square in the eye and said, ‘Push out into the deep waters and let down the nets for a catch.’ While all eyes of the crowd were on Simon, he felt the penetrating gaze of Jesus. What would he do?”
Johnny stopped again and began to conjecture. “This was Simon’s boat; he was the captain. He always called the shots. What would it say to the people if he gave in, especially if he failed or got caught in a storm?”
Johnny said, “It is no different for you. The decision facing you is basically about who is the captain of your ship.”
In a move that probably surprised even him, Simon said, “I fished all night and caught nothing, however, because you asked, I will.”
Johnny continued, “Simon paddled out into the deep and let down his nets. In doing so he witnessed the greatest success of his career. The success was so overwhelming that he signaled to his partners to help with the catch. They caught so many fish that both boats began to sink.”
Johnny paused and wiped his brow with his bloodstained bandanna. He took a sip from his thermos, then continued, “then Jesus presented a call, which is the same to all of us; ‘follow me, and I will make you a fisher of men.’”
“Jesus gave Simon the offer of a life of significance. Would he take the challenge? Would he follow the call? Or would he stay with the fish seeing them as the path to opportunity and fulfillment? ”
- Seven Days in Utopia, p. 129-132
Commentary:
Simon left the fish (success) and followed Jesus (significance). He spent three years being poured into. The Bible in Acts 2 says that after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon Simon Peter. Soon after, in his first time to address a crowd, over 3,000 people became followers of Jesus that day, and soon after another 2,000 joined them as Peter spoke again. And now we know… success = several hundred fish, significance = 5,000 people filled with hope, life, and power.
In Johnny’s first words to us today, “I don’t believe that we take into consideration the far-reaching effects that our everyday decisions have on our destiny, the lives of others, or the world as a whole.” Think of each decision that Simon made on that day. My prayer is that each day, you and I will choose to “push out into the deep waters.”
"Push out into the deep waters, and let down the nets for a catch."
- Luke 5:4
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